I'm writing this a few days early because I am too excited about my official 12 Days of Christmas countdown. As many of you know I will be taking the holiday season off to prepare for a big move within the paper mill. It has been difficult to sit this season out but I think the rest will be beneficial while I settle into the new space. This list of items are a combination of personal goals for the new year, updates on upcoming events and announcements for new projects. So here it is, my 12 Days of Christmas countdown!

1. Better business organization (this is tremendous & for the first time I feel like reading all of these business books are paying off!) & accepting chip cards!

2. New location for the Petrichorpaper paper mill: the paper mill will be relocating to Randolph, New York (1.5hr south of Buffalo). This does not mean I will be abandoning Buffalo! I will still be committing to workshops, vendor sales, etc. in that area.

3. Open studio/workshops: these will be available in Summer 2017 and a schedule will be announced in the spring.

4. Specialty workshops: also available later in 2017. Schedule will be posted once available. These sorts of workshops will include in-depth seasonal papermaking (harvest walks, natural dyes, inclusions), holiday-themed workshops, potluck & papermaking events, etc.

5. Fiber Farm: this is a goal for late 2017 or early 2018. The space will be decided upon and then prepped throughout the year.

6. Residency: another goal for late 2017-2018. Indeed, the Kickstarter campaign I initially launched was a lofty goal and I have received many messages with suggestions for another campaign. Everything is being considered and mapped out so you can look forward to another campaign launch later in 2017.

7. MS Week: I've been wanting to do this since I started Petrichorpaper and this will be the first year I can actually commit to it! This is a cause that is dear to me and every year I celebrate the date of my diagnosis (which just so happens to be during MS Week). Instead of long hikes, good books & coffee I can celebrate in the studio! At the end of MS Week 1/2 of all proceeds earned will be donated to a local MS chapter.

8. Steady inventory for online & in-store shops: Since I am dedicating the amount of time necessary to keep up on inventory I will have a consistent & steady presence within my online shops (petrichorpaper.com, Etsy, soon to be: Amazon, ScoutMob) and in-store consignment (Buffalo ShopCraft, Western New York Book Arts Center). With that said I am always open for other retail options. If interested, please contact me.

10. Increased vendor appearances: I am hoping to expand my range of vendor appearances. There are so many vendor events that would be perfect for paper products and I hope to deliver. Contact me if you have suggestions for vendor events.

11. New beater: this is a Christmas 2017 idea. I am hoping to be able to purchase a Reina beater by the end of next year. Keep your fingers crossed that we can make this happen!

12. Membership program!: I am most excited about the possibility of this program. This sort of investment helps me dedicate most of my time to making paper...for a living! The best part? You can sign up now! Details can be found in the Membership section of Services on this website. It is a one-year membership with quarterly mailings. Prices range from 100-175$.

That is it for now and I wish you all happy holidays. Best wishes and safe travels.

Wow! I did not realize the last time I submitted a post was the beginning of July! My dearest apologies!

Here is the latest news from the mill:

Petrichorpaper is moving!!!

It is official. I am in the process of packing things up and relocating to Randolph, NY (1.5hrs south of Buffalo, towards Jamestown/Fredonia/Ellicottville). For the coming months I will still be operating relatively low-key but production will resume late January/early February. And then come summer my doors are open for community participation. I deeply appreciate everyone's patience during this exciting transition!

With that said I will not be participating in any holiday vendor shows this year. 2017 is going to be a big year for petrichorpaper so please keep an eye out for updates throughout the winter. My holiday gift to you? My 2017 announcement plan. Beginning December 1st I will be dropping hints and announcing all of the news for my 2017 plan in the form of 12 Days of Christmas.

The Kickstarter campaign has officially been launched! For those who were not aware of the campaign it is to raise funds to relocate the paper mill to a larger work space as well as open an artist residency/retreat. The location is in Randolph, NY (1.5hrs south of Buffalo). Please help me spread the word!

I must begin by thanking everyone who came out for the 100 American Craftsman show. It was a great experience and I met wonderful people.

As for the happenings here there have been plenty. I wrapped up the spring session of ArtWorks and will begin the summer session in July. In addition to preparing for summer vendor sales and workshops I have been busy with custom orders. I just wrapped up a collaborative piece with local film critics, Jordan Smith and Jared Muborek, who run Cultivate Cinema Circle. They celebrated their one-year anniversary and I had a chance to put together the monograph for the event. The covers are made with a cattail/cotton mix. There are only 100 available so be sure to check them out at their next screening!

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Here is a listing of upcoming workshops and events:

Suminagashi 6-8pm June 23 @ WNYBAC

Papermaking with Plants 12-3pm July 23 @ WNYBAC

Papermaking & Bookbinding (Japanese Stab Binding with deckle box paper covers) 6-8pm August 17 & 24 @ WNYBAC (this is a two part class. We will be making covers for the books using the deckle box papermaking method and then bind books the following week.)

Seed Paper 12-3pm August 20 @ WNYBAC

Note: not all of the workshops are listed on their website so if you’re interested please call them (716.348.1430).

Wednesday marks the 3rd anniversary of petrichorpaper as well as my birthday! So all-day everything in my Etsy shop and website will be 28% off! Coupon Code = PARTYLIKEITS1988 and is running June 22nd only!

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One last thing I have to announce. I keep waiting but the anticipation is killing me! As of the end of this summer petrichorpaper mill will be setting up in a new location. In the countryside of Randolph, NY which is about 1.5 hr drive south from Buffalo. The set-up will allow greater flexibility in terms of papermaking projects. Open studio will be available and possible workshops. But don't worry! I will still be holding workshops in Buffalo for those who don't want to make the trip. In the coming weeks I will be posting pictures of the progress being made on my Instagram feed as well as petrichorpaper.com so keep a lookout. Also there will be a grand opening at the end of summer to which you are all invited! Details of the event will come late this summer.

Welcome to 2016! We made it! 2015 was an extraordinary year for petrichorpaper and I couldn't thank you all enough for the love and support. Everyday keeps getting better and better. So I thought I should begin the post with a Top 10 list of year's past, present and future.

Top 10 moments of 2015:

1. WNYBAC's workshops - The Western New York Book Arts Center has done a great deal for me in terms of opportunities and has helped make this year into the success that it was. They have taken me on as a workshop instructor for papermaking classes & field trips, master teaching artist for the ArtWorks program along with a variety of vendor events. Through these opportunities I've made incredible contacts that have only furthered this establishment that is petrichorpaper. WNYBAC, thank you for being such a vital part of making 2015 as wonderful as it was.

2. Commissions - 2015 saw in an increase in custom orders. Not at all swamped but the number is a lot better than zero! Dandelion, coffee, rose petals, heart-shaped just to name a few.

3. Testing various techniques - I was finally able to begin testing a variety of pulp manipulation. Nothing new in the paper world just in this mill. Last year I was able to test out natural dyes (dandelions were a major success), watermarks, larger sheets, drying techniques (the summer allows for 100% solar drying). Again, nothing new but all of this can be done at the paper mill without question.

4. Fully operating equipment - the hot drum dryer AND the beater are both alive and well. With some rewiring and cleaning up these babies are now ready for action.

5. Surviving countless temporary set-ups in the mill/house - yes, for those of you unaware that the mill is in my home it is. A home that was a dump when purchased but transforming into quite the charmer. My partner and I have been doing all of the construction ourselves and learning a remarkable amount of housing skills such as masonry, electric, plumbing, roofing...all sorts of fun and not-so-fun rehab skills. And then I had to go and throw a paper mill into the mix. So with the bustling year that 2015 was the paper set-up was constantly moving from room to room to even outside for its operation. From frozen felts and icy presses to what will be its sole location in the next month or two. Yippee!

6. ArtWorks program - This!!! A true highlight of the year and of my own personal life. The Young Audiences of Western New York organized a program that welcomes at-risk teenagers from the Buffalo area and introduces them to the arts on a professional level. Those accepted into the program were taught a variety of art skills (in WNYBAC's case it was papermaking, bookbinding & printmaking), educational skills (library introduction, college resources) and professional skills (for many this was their first job so professionalism was an absolute requirement). For two weeks I taught ten students paper and book skills. Probably the most rewarding two weeks I've ever had. I don't know if any of them still think about that time but I sure do and hope they took away a lot more than a few sheets of paper.

7. Dried daylily paper - this line of paper will become a seasonal staple. I am very proud of this batch.

8. Vendor sales - a huge part of what made 2015 so successful. The first one of the season, Small Press Book Fair, nearly sold me out in the first day down to the final one of the year Last Minute Panic Sale which just about did the same. Yes there were ups and downs but I learned a lot from a business standpoint that will only make 2016 even better.

9. Banff - this one is an emotional one. The best part of the year for me. Petrichorpaper had been "operating" for at least two years by this point and every day still left me wondering/doubting whether or not I could make this happen. Whether or not people would care enough to invest in me. Whether or not all this hard work was for naught. I certainly don't know what the future holda for the paper mill and quite frankly if it all goes downhill from here at least I had this moment. In Banff, a place I'd always wanted to go, was the Friends of Dard Hunter paper conference. I decided I HAD to attend and registered which wasn't exactly cheap coming out of my meek business account. As it would so happen I was able to register for the conference, register to become a member of the organization holding the conference, pay for the fuel to get us to Banff (yes, we drove from Buffalo to Banff), pay for a 3-night stay at a hotel downtown and pay for meals on the way to Banff. And not a single penny from my own pocket covered it. It was all money I had earned through petrichorpaper. I was able to fully fund a trip I'd always wanted to go on by doing what I love to do (and with a full-time job on the side and rehabbing a house this was not an easy task). If anything made me feel accomplished and proud of the my work and the struggle that comes with it it was this trip. I was able to make this happen because I didn't give up on myself despite the countless number of times I had wanted to. Needless to say when I sat on the side of the river taking this picture with tears streaming down my face I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I will never fully be able to express.

10. Another year that the IRS cannot call this a mere hobby - I made it through 2015 stronger than ever that even the IRS cannot rule out petrichorpaper as a hobby. That is a major success considering you have 5 years to prove that your start-up is a worthy enough financial endeavor for them.

Top 10 of 2016:

1. The paper mill will be open...for real!!! I am taking January and February off to direct my complete attention to the house in order to get this baby rolling. Also because it will be nice to have nice house functions - like hot water and a full size refrigerator. Due to the size of the space it will be appointments only. But since I live here that means it can be available most days of the week!

2. Sponsor @ Small Press Book Fair. It is my first time sponsoring an event which feels like a big deal for me. It's probably not but it is to me.

3. New line of paper and paper products. I don't know exactly what they are yet but you can count on a variety of natural dyes, inclusions locally harvested, locally harvested fibers, variety of art papers (printmaking, watercolour & calligraphy are the goals), sketchbooks, lamps, stationery kits.

4. A variety of new workshops will be available such as a Valentine Papermaking (paper heart) theme and seed paper. Thinking about approaching the Buffalo Zoo about a possible Poo Paper workshop! Also keep a lookout for workshops at Tifft this year.

5. Yes, seed paper will become a thing this year. I will be welcoming seed paper into my production list but will be doing plenty of research in terms of invasive plants.

6. Consigment shops. I will finally be getting products prepped and ready to distribute to a number of local shops to sell. If you or anyone you know of that would like to sell any of my products feel free to contact me with consignment information.

7. Weddings. A couple of people have contacted me in regards to wedding stationery and I will gladly take on those projects. I am currently weighing my options of entering into the Buffalo & Rochester Indie Wedding Vendor options but financially this may not be the year. Who knows though!

8. Conferences in Santa Fe, New Mexico & Brazil. Sadly, I will not be making either of them as I will be taking a personal trip to Europe this fall (but you can count on some paper visits happening while I'm there!)

9. A lofty idea but one I am greatly considering is a retail space. I've always wanted to run my own shop and not just when I'm at home before heading off to another full-time job. The window displays, seasonal shopping, workshops and studio work....again just like the wedding vendor it is a bit of an investment that I will have to be more certain I can make.

10. Paper and print collaboration. This year you will see a lot more print going on these sheets. More fine art on only handmade paper. It will be a personal guarantee of the paper quality. Plus the print will bring out some of the life of the paper.

It is Back to School time and that means a sale! From now until Sept 1st if you order more than 35$ you receive 10$ off! Coupon code = HOOKEDONBOOKS and can be used in the Shop section or my Etsy shop, petrichorpaper.

Also this is the last call for summer themed paper. As of September 1st whatever is in stock is it until next spring/summer and I begin my focus on autumn fibers, natural dyes as well as drying for winter.

I am terribly sorry for my digital absence! I have been busy with various trade shows and workshops along with finally organising the paper studio. This post will be short and sweet as it is a reminder about tomorrow's Jack of all Trades Fine Art & Craft Show being held at Buffalo Riverworks from 11-5pm. There will be over 100 vendors from all different artistic backgrounds.

Also I wanted to remind everyone that although the studio is not available for public use at the moment (and may not be for some time) that you can purchase ready-to-use pulps if you wish to make paper at home (I will be more than happy to look over your space to help with a suitable set-up). All of the equipment is operational which means I can be running this operation around the clock. Commissions are always welcome of course!